Air moistening and filtering device



Feb. 10, 1953 E, A. MAR-rlNEK 2,627,93@

AIR MOISTENING AND FILTERIG DEVICE Filed Aug. 11, 1949 FES. l

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"4 Emanue/A Mari/nek `//a BY llel Patented Feb. l0, 1953 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE A1B MOISTENING AND FLTERING DEVICE Emanuel Martinek, Wichi'taFalls, Tex. Application August l1, 1949, Serial No. 109,785

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a water supply air cleaner, and more particularly to a device for filtering and moistening air used in the fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine.

The invention is particularly applicable to the fuel systems of internal combustion engines, and has as its principal object the provision of means for iiltering and introducing moisture into the air supplied to such a system, in order to promote the combustion of the fuel and increase the operating efiiciency of the engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for maintaining a constant supply of moisture interposed in the path of air entering the fuel system to assure adequate moistening of the air under all operating conditions of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for the introduction of water vapor into the air in adequate amounts for most efficient operation of the engine, and at the same time preventing the entrance of excessive amounts of water into the fuel supply system.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the character mentioned, a comn bined structurewhose parts are readily assembled and disassembled for purposes of cleaningr and repairing.

A still further object is the provision of an air cleaning and moistening device of simple design and rugged construction, capable of withstanding the hard usage to which such a device is likely to be subjected.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a container positioned `over the air intake leading to Y the carburetor of an internal combustion engine,

within which container air passages are formed for conducting the air through and over water located in a water chamber, and through iilter material positioned above the water chamber,

whence the moistened air passes to the carburetor. A water supply tank is provided at a level above the water chamber, which tank is in communication with a water level regulating device in the form of a float valve and float chamber connected to the water chamber.

The invention will best be understood from the following description, constituting a speeication the same when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein- Fig. l is a side elevational view of the invention partly broken away and partly in section, showing the application of the moistening and filtering device to an internal combustion engine;`

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing in detail the construction of the water level maintaining device;

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view, cn a somewhat enlarged scale, showing the internal structure of the air ltering and meistening device; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bracket structure by which the water level maintaining device is secured in position on the mostening and filtering device.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the invention is shown in Fig. 1 as applied to an internal combustion engine represented generally at I, which engine may be positioned in a vehicle provided with a fuel intake connection 3 leading from a carburetor 4 and controlled by a suitable valve arrangement indicated at 5 and adapted to be operated by a control rod 6. A fuel connection 1 is provided for conducting fuel from a source of supply (not shown) to the carburetor 4. The carburetor also has the customary intake connection 8 controlled by a suitable valve arrangement, indicated at 9 and adapted to be operated by a control rod I0.

The above-described elements are all of customary design and structure, forming no part of the present invention, and are included to more fully illustrate the application of the same.

The air moistening and filtering device is ap plied to the inlet connection 8 of the carburetor 4, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, and comprises in its broadest aspect, a container l2 through which the air entering the intake must pass and wherein the air is moistened and filtered, a water regulating device, indicated at l, whereby the level of the water in the water chamber is maintained, and a water supply tank or reservoir I6, which may conveniently be attached to the dashboard 2 at some point above the level of the water to be maintained in the water chamber.

The container I2 is preferably in the form of a shell of generally cylindrical formation, having a centrally positioned tubular member' I8 secured therein, which has a portion 20 extending below the bottom of the container for connection with the intake 8 of the carburetor. A split collar 22 may be positioned on the portion 20, which collar is secured by a bolt 24 for attaching the container to the' intake.

WithinA the bottom of the container t2, sur- Y rounding the tubular outlet member I8, is 1ocated lan annular tray 26 forming a Water cham- 1 ber. toreceive water for adding moisture to the 3 air passing through the device. The tray 26 is supplied with water through a tube 28 attached to an externally threaded connector 30 passing through the bottom of the container and the adjacent bottom portion of the tray.

Between the bottom of the tray 26 and the bottom of the container is provided a space 32 in which is positioned a nut 34 threaded on the connector 38. A nut 36 on the connector 30, externally of the bottom of the container, serves to secure the connector thereto.

An annular perforated cover member 38 is positioned above the tray 26 and is formed with a downwardly extending flange 39 projecting into the tray adjacent the inner wall thereof surrounding the tubular outer member I8. This annular member 38 has a downwardly extending annular portion 48 formed therein, which portion extends within the tray 26 for a purpose later to be made apparent herein. The annular cover member 38 and its channel portion@ are both provided with perforations as indicated at t2, in Figs. 1 and 3, the perforations 42 in the channel portion 38 extending through both vertical walls thereof. The channel portion 49 forms, in eiect, a baille element extending beneath the level of the water in the water chamber and functions to secure improved distribution of moisture in the air when the air demand of the internal combustion engine is relatively great. The tray 28 may be filled with a filtering `material 43, such, for example, as a corrosion resistant metallic wool or other equivalent material having suitable physical properties for the ypurpose of securing better distribution of the moisture in air passing through the device.

An annular receptacle 44, having a perforated bottom portion 46 r*and provided with a'perforated closure '48, is located within the upper part of the container surrounding the tubular member i3. The closure extendsinwardly beyond the tubular member'l, as best seenat 50 in Fig. 3, and may conveniently engagea gasket/'52 resting upon the inturned end portion'l'i of the tubular member.

A cylindrical partition member f5E vis positioned inside the fcontainer. l2 to denne an air inlet passage 5S and an interrvnediateA air passage E8 therein, which passages are in communication through the periorations 4 2 intheannular cover member 38 and in the channel portion 4i), as well as through the tray 26 beneath-the vchannel portion 48. The lower end portion of the cylindrical partition member 56 forms a baille extending into the channel portion 4B, and this is perforated as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, which perforations may be arranged in alignment with the perforations 42 in the channel Vportion 40, or they may be adjusted in any suitable manner to partly restrict the flow of air therethrough. The member 55 may be formed with an out-turned flange S2 upon which the lid 64 for the entire container rests. A packing ring 86 may be positioned beneath the lidbetween. the same and the out-turned llange 62. The lid 64 is formed with a down-turned edge portion 6? and the upper end of the container has an out-turned lip 68 formed thereon. The cover is supported with the downturned edge 61 in spaced relation to the .outturned lip 68 to provide a passage i8, forming a continuation of the inlet passage 58 through which air is drawn into the container.

Across the upper end ofthe tubular` outlet member I8 a bar I2 is secured-in any convenient manner to the 'in-'turned portion 54. A bolt 14 is secured to the bar 'l2 and extends upwardly therefrom through opening 'I6 in the central portion of the lid 64. By means of a wing nut 18 on the bolt '14, the cover is retained securely in place on the container. As seen in Fig. 3, the central portion of the lid 64 is spaced above the upper end of the tubular member I8 to form a passage connecting the annular passage .68 and the tubular member.

A suitable filtering material 80, such as, for example, that used in the water chamber, is placed in the receptacle 44 to assure the removal of any dirt or excess water from the air passing therethrough.

Water is maintained in the annular tray 26 to the level indicated by the dotted line therein, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, and from the above description of the moistening and filtering device it will be seen that air drawn into the container through the passage l!) between the cover and the upper end of the container passes downwardly through the annular passage 58, through perforations 42, to contact the wetted ltering material in the tray 26.

When the Vamount of air thus drawn into Athe container is small, the air will passthrough the perforations in the channel portion 48 and the.

Derfel-ations in Vthe cylindrical member v56 which lie above the water in the water chamber, and thence upwardly through passage 68 and lter material Se, downwardly through tubular member i8 and into the carburetor 4 through the intake connection ii.

Thus, when only small amounts of air are being used by the engine, the moisture added thereto by contact ofV the air with the wetted lter material 43 in the tray 25 may alone be sumcient for eicient operation. In the event, however, that a large amount of air must be passed through the device, to satisfy the operating demand of the engine, the perforations lying above the water level in the tray 26 will not be large enough to accommodate al1 of the air, resulting in some of the air being forced through the perforations lying beneath the water to emerge therefrom in the form of bubbles. In this manner the introduction of the additional moisture required to properly rnoistenV a large amount of air may be accomplished without any adjustment of the apparatus being necessary.

For the purpose of maintaining the water level in the tray 2t, the tube 28 is connected by a suitable coupling 32 to the water level regulator le, as indicated inFigs. land 2. The water level regulator is preferably in the form of a transparent cylindrical container .84 havingl top and bottom covers Se and 88, respectively, secured thereto ,by means .of threaded rods 9,8 passing through openings 32 in the topl cover, and threaded into openings Si? in the bottom cover. Packing rings QG and 88, respectively, may be positioned between the top and bottom covers and the ends of the cylindrical container Gli to assure a water tight nt.

The bottom cover E3 is also provided with an externally threaded pipe connection 91 located centrally thereof, to which a tube 99 is connected by means of the internally threaded coupling element lim, coupling |82, and tube connector |84.

The tube 89 leads to the wat-er supply tank IG to which it is attached by the Vtube connector let.

The water level regulating device includes a float 88 within the cylinder container'84, to which is attached a valve member H0 seating at the lower end of the pipe connection 91. It will be noted that the valve IIB is closed upon upward movement of the float and opened upon downward movement of the same, and due to the fact that the water supply tank I5 is above the regulator the water level in the latter is always maintained indicated in dotted line in Fig. 1.

Moreover, the tra-y 26 is in communication with the water level regulator through tube 23, thus assuring that the water in the tray will at all times be maintained at the same level as in the regulator.

The water level regulator is conveniently attached to the container I2 through the use of a bracket I I2 having a vertical portion IIe secured to vthe container yby bolts IIE and Iii? extending through slots 520 and I22 in the ,bracket for the purpose of permitting vertical adjustment o the position of the water level regulator with rclation to the container. The water level regulator is attached to the horizontal portion |24 by clamping thereon between the coupling member i90 and the connector itil, the coupling elcment |92 extending through a hole in the bracket. The tube 28 may also be extended through a hole in the bracket `portion 24, as seen in Fig. l.

With the various parts constructed and arranged in the manner described the invention is readily applied to many different types of internal combustion engines without making any substantial changes in the fuel systems of the same, or in the moistening and filtering device. It will also be seen that the parts of the device located in the container I2 can Ibe easily assem- Y bled, or they may be taken out for purposes of cleaning or repair, by merely removing the wing nut I8 from the bolt 14, after which the lid Gli can be lifted off and the various parts lifted out in turn.

Without further description, it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will be recognized that various changes and modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for moistening and filtering air for use in the fuel system of an internal combustion engine, a container having air inlet and outlet passages, means for connecting said air outlet passage in communication with the air intake of said fuel system, a `water chamber formed in said container in communication with said inlet and outlet passages, a perforated cover member on said water chamber having an annular portion extending into said water chamber beneath said level of the water in said chamber, a partiti-on in said container between said inlet and outlet passages and extending into said annular portion beneath the level of the water in said chamber, said annular portion and the portion of said partition in said annular portion having perforations therein.

2. In a device for moistening and filtering air for use in the fuel system of an internal combustion engine, a container having air inlet and air outlet passages and an intermediate passage communicating with said inlet and outlet passages, means for connecting said air outlet passage in communication with the air intake of said fuel system, a water chamber formed in said container and communicating with said inlet passage and said intermediate passage, a coveron sai-d water chamber having perforations formed therein, a perforate annular portion extending into said water chamber beneath the level of said water in said chamber, and a perforate partition between said inlet and said intermediate passage, said perforate partition extending into said perforate annular portion.

3. In a device for moistening and filtering air for use in the fuel system of an internal combustion engine, a container having an air inlet and an air outlet passage therein, means for connecting said air outlet passage in communication with the air intake of said fuel system, a water chamber formed in the lower portion of said container, a cover member having perforations formed therein fitted on said water chamber and having an annular perforate portion extending into said water chamber beneath the level of said water therein, filtering material disposed within said water chamber below said cover, a partition in said container between said air inlet and said air outlet passages and extending into said annular perforate portion, and the lower portion of said partition having perforations formed therein for the passage of air therethrough.

EMANUEL A. MARTINEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,567,313 Wilson et al Dec. 29, 1925 2,021,524 Sondburg Nov. 19, 1935 2,046,093 Schaaf et al June 30, 1936 2,459,428 Jacobi Jan. 18, 1949 2,509,510 Lee et al. May 30, 1950 

